Fixing construction for terrace floors

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a fixing construction for terrace floors with the following features: support beams ( 1 ) and bearing beams ( 2 ), wherein the bearing beams ( 2 ) are fixed to the support beams ( 1 ) by means of fixing elements ( 3 ) and the fixing elements ( 3 ) each comprise a pair of rectangular plastic plates ( 3   a,    3   b ), each plate having a thickness (d) and a swelling ( 4 ).Said particular embodiment of the plastic plates and the alternating fixing thereof to the bearing beams gives a plug connection which is also fixed to the support beams.

The invention relates to a fixing construction for terrace floors and similar applications.

In most cases, terrace floors are made of wood and comprise a supporting structure made of square timbers with a rectangular cross section, hereinafter called support beams, which are arranged in parallel to each other. Wooden boards, hereinafter called bearing planks, are fixed to the support beams in a predetermined distance to each other.

The simplest kind of fixing is that of using screws which, however, have to be driven in from above so that the screw-heads are visible. Therefore, to an always greater extent, kinds of fixing are preferred, where the fixing elements are positioned below the bearing planks, that is, are covered by them, or are arranged between the bearing planks and engage into recesses provided at the side faces thereof, such as described in the document DE 10 2005 030 780 A1, for example.

Several requirements are set on terrace floors of such design. In most cases, a terrace is not roofed and, therefore, is completely exposed to meteorological conditions. Wood which a terrace floor is made of, expends and contracts, respectively, by the effect of wetness and temperature differences. This applies to the bearing planks and to the support beams as well. In principle, expansion and contraction of wood can be reduced by using special kinds of wood or by impregnating it, by which, however, higher costs are caused. Therefore, there is the requirement to use woods left in their natural state, which, in addition, are lower in cost. Also, wood is susceptible to permanent wetness. Therefore, constructions have to be designed so that any obstruction of wetness does not occurs.

Object of the invention is to eliminate those disadvantages known from terrace floors according to prior art and, especially, to provide low-price and long-life terrace floors.

This object is solved by a fixing construction for terrace floors according to claim 1, which comprises the following features: Support beams preferably arranged in parallel to each other on the terrace soil. Furthermore, bearing planks orthogonally arranged to the support beams and fixed to them by using fixing elements. The fixing elements are pairs of rectangular plastic plates, wherein each of the plastic plates has a predetermined thickness and comprises a strip-like shoulder which extends in parallel to the front edge of plate, and wherein the section with the shoulder is double as thick as the plate itself. The invention results from the shape of the plastic plates and the kind of fixing them to the support beams and to the bearing planks. The plastic plates are fixed to the bottom side of the bearing planks through their shoulders so that a gap each is formed between that part of the plastic plate, which extends from the shoulder, and the bearing plank, and in addition, are fixed to the support beams through that part extending from the shoulder. Also, plastic plates are fixed to the bottom side of the bearing planks at the opposite side thereof through their shoulders so that a gap each is formed between that part of the plastic plate extending from the shoulder and the top side of the support beam. In the joint state, that part of the plastic plate extending from the shoulder engages into the corresponding one of the gaps mentioned above, and in this way, a form-locking joint is set up.

The kind of fixing the plastic plates can freely be chosen, however, the use of screws is preferred.

The advantage of this kind of terrace floor construction is that only those plastic plates fixed to a bearing plank near one side edge thereof are also fixed to the corresponding one of the support beams through that part extending from the shoulder. Thus, expansions of wood, which are caused by fluctuations of moisture and/or temperature, can be compensated. Therefore, it is not necessary to use special kinds of wood, which are very expensive. In addition, by this floating construction, occurrence of big forces at the fixing spots, which are caused by expansions, can be avoided. Therefore, in case of a screw connection, smaller-sized screws can be used. As the bearing planks are arranged on the support beams by a predetermined distance to them, air can stream between them, which helps to prevent the wood from digesting with water.

Of course, the invention can also be used for other applications such as vertical casings, for example. In addition, the structural elements to be joined with each other must not necessarily be made of wood.

According to claim 2, the plastic plates are wider than the support beams by at least 10%. This development of the invention is advantageous in that the support beams are covered by the plastic plates so that water will drain from the edges of this plates and does not flow onto the support beams, whereby the support beams are protected from wetness very effectively. This is an especially preferred embodiment of the invention.

According to claim 3, protective right is claimed for the fixing elements according to claim 1 for making a fixing construction according to claim 1.

Below, the invention will be described in more detail by means of the accompanying drawings, wherein features matching each other are marked by the same signs.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a terrace planking of wood.

FIGS. 2 a, b, c shows a pair of plastic plates 3 a, 3 b, by means of which a terrace planking shown in FIG. 1 can be made.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the fixing construction according to the invention, which shows the arrangement of the plastic plates.

FIG. 4 is the perspective view according to FIG. 1, which shows the arrangement of the fixing elements and the visible portion thereof.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a terrace planking of wood, which comprises support beams 1 and bearing planks 2 arranged on them. Fixing of the bearing planks 2 on the support beams 1 is performed by using plastic plates 3 a, 3 b shown in FIGS. 2 a, 2 b, 2 c, which comprise a shoulder 4 at an end section thereof.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the terrace planking shown in FIG. 1, from which the arrangement of the plastic plates 3 a and 3 b can be seen. A plastic plate 3 b is fixed to a support beam 1 by means of a wood screw 5. Before this plastic plate 3 b is fixed to the support beam, it is fixed through its shoulder 4 to the bottom side of a bearing plank 2 a by means of a wood screw 6. A plastic plate 3 a having the same shape as the plastic plate 3 b is fixed through its shoulder 4 to the bearing plank 2 a at the opposite side thereof by means of a wood screw 7, but turned by 180 degrees. Another plastic plate 3 b is fixed to the bottom side of a bearing plank 2 b by means of a wood screw 9. This plastic plate 3 b is also fixed to the support beam 1 by means of a wood screw 8. As can be seen from this drawing, the plastic plates 3 a and 3 b fit into the corresponding one of the gaps 11 a, 11 b so that a form-locking joint is set up.

FIG. 4 is the same as FIG. 1, which additionally shows the arrangement of the partly visible plastic plates 3 b extending over the support beam 1 at both sides thereof, because, according to claim 2, they are wider than the support beam 1 by at least 10%. 

1. Fixing construction having the following features: Support beams (1) and bearing planks (2 a, b), wherein the bearing planks (2 a, b) are fixed to the support beams (1) by means of fixing elements (3), characterized in that the fixing elements are pairs of rectangular plastic plates (3 a, 3 b), wherein each of the plastic plates (3 a, 3 b) comprises a thickness (d) and a strip-like shoulder (4) extending at one end section thereof in parallel to the front edge of the plastic plate and having a thickness of 2×(d), wherein plastic plates (3 b) are fixed through their shoulders (4) to the bottom side of the bearing planks (2) so that a gap (11 a) each having a width (d) is formed between the bottom side of a bearing plank (2) and the top side of that part of the plastic plate extending from the shoulder thereof and having a thickness (d), and are also fixed through the part extending from the shoulder (4) thereof to the support beams (1), and plastic plates (3 a) are fixed through the shoulder (4) thereof to the bottom side of the bearing planks (2) so that a gap (11 b) each having a width (d) is formed between the top side of the support beams (1) and the bottom side of that part extending from the shoulder (4) of the plastic plate, and, in the joined state, that part of the plastic plate extending from the shoulder thereof projects into the corresponding one of the gaps (11 a, 11 b) formed.
 2. Fixing construction according to claim 1, characterized in that the plastic plates (3 a, 3 b) are wider than the support beams (1) by at least 10%.
 3. Fixing elements according to claim 1 for making a fixing construction according to claim
 1. 